Young Conservatives make the case for reforming the GOP platform in Iowa

August 12, 2014

EDITORS' NOTE: This post was written by Rek LeCounte, Leadership Committee member for Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry

I just returned from Iowa to talk to elected Republicans, GOP leadership, and reporters from local and regional media to discuss Freedom to Marry's campaign to "Reform the Platform" by removing anti-gay language from the 2016 national GOP platform. This is my second trip as a Young Conservative for the Freedom to Marry (the first was to New Hampshire earlier this summer) and once again, it was an incredible experience traveling with other Young Conservatives to promote this exciting campaign to remove hostile LGBT language in the GOP platform and replace it with more inclusive language that embraces all the views of Republicans.

In Iowa, along with my colleagues, we started the day on the air with conservative WHO radio DJ Jan Mickelson, filled the day with meetings with key reporters and ended our 12 hour plus day with GOP activists and legislators in Des Moines. In each conversation, we talked about the importance of adding more inclusive language in the platform in order to build support from young Republicans who support the freedom to marry. Time and time again, our voices were heard with positive results.

Our time spent in both New Hampshire and Iowa, first-in-the-Nation states, has allowed for important conversations on reforming the national platform to become more inclusive of LGBT people and their allies. Starting with the seacoast of New Hampshire and now traveling to the Iowa State Fair, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry will continue to make multiple stops across the country as we look ahead to the National Convention in Cleveland in 2016.

I am excited and optimistic for the next legs of this campaign in other early primary states like Nevada and South Carolina. I realize there is still a lot of work to do, and I look forward to working with an expanding coalition of enthusiastic young conservatives to speak out to reform the platform and for the freedom to marry.

Freedom to Marry was the campaign to win marriage nationwide. With the Supreme Court victory on June 26, 2015, the work of this strategic campaign – though not the larger movement – was achieved, and Freedom to Marry wound down its operations, closing in early 2016. For inquiries, please email legacy@freedomtomarry.org.